03 May 2020

Administrator

Albums and Singles

It has been roughly three years since Lawrence English last released a proper solo album (2017’s Cruel Optimism), though he has kept himself quite busy with collaborative work since then (most notably as half of HEXA). Nevertheless, I have always been quite fond of his solo work, so I was hoping that he had something ambitious in the pipeline and this latest release hits the mark in that regard. While I am not sure that I would necessarily characterize Lassitude as one of English's major releases, it is at least half brilliant and takes quite a different approach to drone than his usual fare. Part of that uniqueness lies in the fact that English focused entirely upon the pipe organ for this release, but Lassitude is perhaps even more significantly influenced by its inspirations, as one piece is inspired by Éliane Radigue and another by Phill Niblock.

Room40

I suspect Lassitude’s title is intended as droll exploitation of the word's dual meanings, as the timing of the release certainly coincides with an abundance of dispiriting and mentally wearying events throughout the world.However, in a highly localized sense, English seems to also be alluding to how physically exhausting it can be to play a pipe organ: in his description of the album, he notes how sore he was after "holding the bass pedals and manipulating the stops ever so delicately" for the performance of the title piece.The organ in question, currently housed in Brisbane's Old Museum, dates from the 19th century and is presumably a familiar instrument for English, as pipe organs have been audibly surfacing in his work since at least as far back as 2014's Wilderness of Mirrors (and I doubt there are a wealth of other building-sized instrument options in his immediate vicinity).Given the complexity of the instrument, I would not envy anyone trying to master advanced melodic compositions, but the organ's elaborate system of stops allows for nuanced tonal changes that are extremely well-suited to drone-based compositions such as these (or those of Kali Malone).Given that, it is no surprise that both of Lassitude's lengthy compositions are hyper-minimal drone works, though the stylistic difference between the two is admittedly quite dramatic.

According to English, the opening "Saccade (For Éliane Radigue)" was largely inspired by classic Radigue albums like Adnos, Trilogie de la morte, and L'île re-sonante and he makes absolutely no attempt to conceal that influence at all.In fact, "Saccade" is textbook Radigue fare on its face, as it is essentially just a single pulsing, quavering tone that gradually blossoms into a hypnotic swirl of chirping and buzzing oscillations.To his credit, however, English brings some impressively effective innovations to Radigue's signature aesthetic, condensing her characteristically epic time scale into a lean and heavy 20-minute dose of visceral, slow-burning, and hallucinatory drone nirvana.That could very well be unintentional, as not many artists share Radigue's superhuman patience, but English's more distilled and dense incarnation of simmering and throbbing oscillation worship could not possibly have been executed any more beautifully: "Saccade" is harmonically and rhythmically absorbing and intense from start to finish.The pleasures of the Niblock-inspired "Lassitude," on the other hand, are a bit less readily apparent, though that is partially because all of the action takes place in a lower frequency range.That said, the piece is considerably more consonant than predecessor, unfolding mostly as a single deep chord undarkened by ugly harmonies.Consequently, it feels comparably placid and "ambient," though sufficient volume and focused listening reveals seismic, slow-motion transformations continually unfolding in its rumbling depths.    

As an homage to Niblock, "Lassitude" is admittedly solid, but it is no better or no worse than its inspiration and too minimal to allow much (if any) of English's individual character to manifest itself.As such, it is by far the weaker of the two pieces.Unlike "Saccade," however, the title piece was recorded as a single one-take performance (a first for English).Seen in that light, "Lassitude" is quite an impressive feat of control, patience, and nuance.Of course, given that this is an album and not a public performance, I still cannot help but wonder how much better the piece could have been if it had been subjected to English's full compositional, editing, and production powers.Given how beautifully "Saccade" turned out, it is hard to imagine that "Lassitude" would have been anything other than a similarly sublime stunner in those circumstances.Then again, maybe not, as it is difficult to envision much that would not pale in comparison to "Saccade."In fact, it may very well be the single best piece Lawrence has ever recorded: a mesmerizing, billowing dream cloud curdled by endlessly shifting dissonances.

Samples can be found here.

02 May 2020

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Esplendor Geométrico, the influential "industrial" pioneers of pulsating, hypnotic and mechanical rhythms, return with a new album Cinética, after their previous Fluida Mekaniko (2016). Based now in Shanghai and Rome, they have not stopped their live performances all over the world in the last two years (Germany, Spain, Russia, UK, France, Italy, and recently Chile) with great success.

The LP include 8 tracks , 10 in the CD version, recorded between 2018 & 2019. Cinética gives a twist to the line that the group has followed in their last albums, highlighted by a more elaborate sound. A sound less raw, but without losing the essence of E.G.: hypnotic rhythms and innovative industrial music, danceable and tribal sometimes. Certain songs like "Acoplamiento internacional" and "Modulaciones," with eastern and african voices, remember the classic LP Mekano Turbo (1988) that is considered as one of the best albums of E.G. In Cinética there are filtered and natural voices, broken mechanical and industrial rhythms, synthesizers layers, percussion, noise, distortion...

ESPLENDOR GEOMETRICO celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2020 and prepares special editions for that year. They have developed a unique style since 1980 that influenced many "industrial" musicians around the world, including the new trends of industrial techno.

More information can be found here.

02 May 2020

Administrator

Albums and Singles

STOCK is a new series of digital transmissions by Kangding Ray on ara.

Musically, the tracks will lean towards psychedelism and introspection, and will be sporadically uploaded, as they are created.
Each track will receive a visual counterpoint based on stock photo previews, treated as a ready-made subversive art form.
Taken out of context, these generic conveyors of relatable feelings can reveal our insecurities, unfold the mechanic behind the construction of desires, and question the vanity economy we’re navigating in.

More information can be found here.

02 May 2020

Administrator

Albums and Singles

For over a decade, Max Ravitz has been obsessively working in his home studio, crafting electronic music under various guises. His primary solo project, Patricia, has been a mainstay in New York's DIY electronic music scene, with releases on labels such as Opal Tapes, Nona, and Ghostly's Spectral Sound imprint.

Ravitz is a life-long musician with a passion for collecting, studying, and using all types of electronic music equipment. This focus on hardware lays the foundation for both his recorded music and live sets — two distinct entities with a similar flavor. He is a process-driven artist who values creative constraint, improvisation and collaboration with others. Over the years, his numerous collaborative projects include Inhalants (with Jahiliyya Fields), Masks (with Arp), DSR.MR (with Cloudface), and Ociya (with Tin Man). Ravitz's love of synthesizers has recently led him from Brooklyn to Asheville, North Carolina, where he has taken on the role of Product Specialist at Moog Music.

Over the course of 10 songs, Maxyboy presents a more varied stylistic approach than past Patricia releases, shifting away from some of the 'lo-fi' sounds he's known for. With clear nods to electro, acid, IDM, and techno, Maxyboy puts on display Ravitz's eclectic range of influence — from collaborators and contemporaries, to classic innovators alike.

Titled after his family’s childhood nickname for him, Maxyboy serves as a window to Ravitz's range of musical interests. "Myokymia," "Downlink" and "Crushed Velvet" highlight Ravitz's penchant for intricate drum programming; while album closer "Ctenophora" hints towards his drumless sensibilities. Ranging from driving and somatic ("Dripping," "Turtle Funk"), to ambient ("Julia Set") to acid ("Dew Point" and "Dr. Oetker's Ristorante"), each song carries an evocative, questioning quality — something any listener can enhance for themselves by closing the eyes and letting the sounds course through. 

More information can be found here.

02 May 2020

Administrator

Albums and Singles

"Pittsburgh's digital collagist {arsonist} unbraids time and decolorizes nature on her debut album Reality Structure. Overpowering blasts of electronic percussion offset lush synthetic beauty on six tracks of perfectly balanced battle between chaos and understanding. The album title plays on the name of a mathematical vector that divides a unit into real and imaginary subspaces. Throughout these pieces, {arsonist} explores subspaces of dreamlike reality and realistic dream states, with alien synth sounds and organic strings cautiously tugging the songs in different, bizarre directions. Otherworldly in a way where you can hear the process of a new world being constructed and decomposing in real time."

-Fred Thomas

Reality Structure explores the mystique common to both the fantastical and bizarre symbolic language of dreams and the precise yet abstract symbolic language of mathematics. May we decompose the vector spaces of our complex mental experiences to find their transcendent, imaginary components.

More information can be found here.

02 May 2020

Administrator

Albums and Singles

A quote from Norman Westberg:

A Walk In The Park - "Not really locked up, but in no hurry to risk being exposed to this virus. I sit at my desk listening to hours of live recordings that were made when people stood and sat in groups. We can still walk in the park listening, just keep a safe distance. Or better yet, stay home, lay down and drift with me. Please consider others when you go outside."

More information can be found here.

02 May 2020

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the nomination and voting rounds of this year's annual readers poll.

All the best wishes for 2020!

Album of the Year

1. Swans, "Leaving Meaning" (Young God)
   
   "At this point, I suspect Michael Gira could probably sneeze and land a spot near the top of this readers' poll, but I genuinely like this incarnation of Swans quite a lot.  Gira has long been an unwavering beacon of creative integrity and it is clear that he strives to convey something honest, soulful and meaningful with each new release.  That said, I think this album deserves the top spot solely for the line "I am the avatar of your semen and I'm screaming."" - Anthony D’Amico
   
   "I thought this made for an excellent follow-up to the previous run of Swans albums.  Seems like Gira realized the 30+ pounding epics had gotten as extreme as it could, so that overall tweaking of style and guest artists gave it that perfect balance of familiar and new.  Traces of his other projects can easily be heard, but the final product is as fresh as ever." - Creaig Dunton
   
   "Gira has once again triumphed in a new arrangement of Swans. While I, too, am skeptical about the brainwashed readers, it does make sense that Swans is a group that most readers do, indeed, agree on, and rightfully so." - Jon Whitney
   
   
2. Cosey Fanni Tutti, "Tutti" (Conspiracy International)
   
   "I definitely expected this album to be a more radical departure from Carter Tutti than it was, given its use of Gristle-era source material and the character of Cosey's classic previous solo release (1983's Time To Tell).   Instead, it mostly just picks up where exactly where Carter Tutti left off, consisting primarily of driving synthpop instrumentals.  Unsurprisingly, they are often quite good, but this album is more of a likable soundtrack to her recent career retrospective than it is a bold, stand-alone statement. "  - Anthony D'Amico
   
   
3. Carla dal Forno, "Look Up Sharp" (Kallista) 
   
   "Quite likely my own personal favorite of the year, it's a fantastic example of Carla's continued evolution as composer and performer." - Jon Whitney
   
   "During a lengthy period of emotional pain, the ecstatic gloomy thud of Pale Sketcher's "Jesu Pale Sketches Demixed" was my in-car album of choice. "Look Up Sharp" is not bleary or fuzz-drenched, but would have fitted the bill." - Duncan Edwards
   
   
4. Carter Tutti Void, "Triumvirate" (Conspiracy International)
   
   "I am sad to see this collaboration end, as Triumvirate felt like an exciting creative breakthrough that had not yet realized its full potential.  This album almost achieves the perfect balance of propulsive Carter Tutti-style synthpop and gnarled Gristle noise, but this wonderful threesome stopped exasperatingly short of transforming their grooves into fully formed songs.  Still a damn good album though."  -Anthony D’Amico
   
   
5. Caterina Barbieri, "Ecstatic Computation" (Editions Mego)
   
   "At times, her roots in classical guitar seem writ large as shimmering compositions for synthesizer. Schulzeesque." - Duncan Edwards
   
   ""Fantas" absolutely floored me the first time I heard it." -Anthony D'Amico
   
   
6. Fennesz, "Agora" (Touch)
   
   "Stunning. An album that Popol Vuh or Tangerine Dream would have been proud to make. Created on headphones. Perfect to hear through headphones." - Duncan Edwards
   
   
7. Sunn O))), "Life Metal" (Southern Lord)
   
   "I really need someone to sit down with me and patiently explain why this album is great and special and not extremely similar to at least three other Sunn O))) albums." -Anthony D'Amico
   
   "I am not going to be that person, Anthony, but I think this one was strong since it had a bit of the bombast of Monoliths and Dimensions, but the stripped down approach that was more prevalent on Kannon.  Plus Albini's engineering helped give it even more depth.  But I mean, it is still a Sunn O))) record." - Creaig Dunton
   
   
8. Tim Hecker, "Anoyo" (Kranky)
   
   "Tim Hecker's ability to continually reinvent his sound while releasing an unbroken string of great albums borders on the supernatural."  -Anthony D'Amico
   
   
9. Sunn O))), "Pyroclasts" (Southern Lord)
   
   "Considerably better and more imaginative than Life Metal." -Anthony D'Amico
   
   
10. Current 93, "Invocations of Almost" (The Spheres)
11. The Legendary Pink Dots, "Angel in the Detail" (Metropolis)
    
    "One of the stronger song-based LPD albums in recent memory.  The maddeningly brief "Itchycoo Shark" is my favorite song by a landslide, but the entire first side of the album is basically an unbroken parade of fine would-be singles."  -Anthony D’Amico
    
    
12. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, "Ghosteen" (Ghosteen Ltd / Bad Seed Ltd)
    
    "Loving the parts which remind of Scott Walker. Beyond that, after three listens, it's a bit of a case of your funeral, my trial. Sticking with it though because it may be a real grower. The cover art leaves me speechless."  - Duncan Edwards
    
    
13. Kali Malone, "The Sacrificial Code" (iDEAL)
    
    "Subtly ingenious, elegantly simple, and unapologetically out of step with just about every single trend in contemporary music.  It is extremely heartening to see this album popping up on so many end-of-year lists."  -Anthony D’Amico
    
    "Do not miss "Spectacle of Ritual." It liberates church organ from the traditional bellowing reverb, allowing for a calm intimacy I'd thought impossible. - Duncan Edwards    
    
    
14. HTRK, "Venus in Leo" (Ghostly)
15. Nivhek, "After its own death / Walking in a spiral towards the house" (Yellow Electric)
16. Félicia Atkinson, "The Flower And The Vessel" (Shelter Press)
    
    "Atkinson's last few albums have each featured some amazing songs, but The Flower And The Vessel is absolutely packed with them.  This is easily the finest album of her post-Je Suis Le Petit Chevalier career."  -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
17. Nodding God, "Play Wooden Child" (House of Mythology)
    
    "I am surprised to see that this album placed as high as it did.  This is an absolutely unhinged endurance test from start to finish.  It is an endearing one, of course, but it does not lend itself well to repeat listening.  This is David Tibet and Andrew Liles at their most gleefully and maniacally indulgent." -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
18. Swans, "What Is This?" (Young God)
19. Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto, "Two" (Noton)
20. Loscil, "Equivalents" (Kranky)
21. King Midas Sound, "Solitude" (Cosmo Rhythmatic)
22. The Stargazer's Assistant, "Mirrors & Tides, Shivers & Voids" (Zoharum)
23. Scorn, "Cafe Mor" (Ohm Resistance)
    
    "I was not sure what to expect from a new Scorn album after a nearly decade-long hiatus, as Mick Harris's run of classic albums was very much of its time.  As it turns out, what I could expect was a slow-motion juggernaut of stripped-down, subwoofer-straining dub heaviness.  It almost sounds like Harris remixed the Zonal album to excise absolutely everything that was insufficiently cold and menacing." -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
24. Akira Rabelais, "CXVI" (self-released)
25. Edward Ka-Spel, "The Moon Cracked Over Albion" (Neuteka)
26. Ulver, "Drone Activity" (House of Mythology)
27. Thighpaulsandra, "Practical Electronics" (Editions Mego)
28. Deathprod, "Occulting Disk" (Smalltown Supersound)
    
    "Deathprod's long-awaited return is quite a blackened and slow-burning affair, but it builds to an absolutely visceral and volcanic crescendo." -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
29. UnicaZurn, "Sensudestricto" (Touch)
30. Biosphere, "The Senja Recordings" (Biophone)
31. Black To Comm, "Seven Horses For Seven Kings" (Thrill Jockey)
    
    "This album feels like trying to watch Akira Kurosawa's Ran while being sucked inside a Hieronymus Bosch painting."  -Anthony D'Amico 
    
    
32. Matmos, "Plastic Anniversary" (Thrill Jockey)
33. Sarah Davachi, "Pale Bloom" (W.25th)
    
    "One of Davachi's more unusual and ambitiously diverse albums.  If someone had told me these were all recently unearthed compositions by some rogue classical visionary like Carlo Gesualdo, I would probably would've believed them."  -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
34. Bill Callahan, "Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest" (Drag City)
35. Abul Mogard, "Kimberlin" (Ecstatic)
    
    "I have historically not been terribly keen on either remix albums or film soundtracks, but Abul Mogard has now managed to dazzle me with both."  -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
36. Kim Gordon, "No Home Record" (Matador)
37. Zu, "Terminalia Amazonia" (House of Mythology)
38. Meat Beat Manifesto, "Opaque Couché" (Flexidisc)
39. Black To Comm, "Before After" (Thrill Jockey)
    
    "More freewheeling and abstract than the more focused and intense Seven Horses, but every bit as good.  Maybe even better.  Marc Richter had a hell of a year."  -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
40. Pan•American, "A Son" (Kranky)
41. Earth, "Full Upon Her Burning Lips" (Sargent House)
42. Alessandro Cortini, "Volume Massimo" (Mute)
    
    "Cortini's first stab at translating his synth mastery into something approaching pop music was a bit of a mixed bag, but the more successful moments like "Sabbia" are legitimately wonderful." -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
43. Stephen Mallinder, "Um Dada" (Dais)
    
    "Richard H. Kirk has cranked out albums consistently since Cabaret Voltaire dissolved, but Mal has always been a bit more selective, even when working with others.  On this solo one it retains that clubby, funk feel of 1980s CV, but with the right amount of cut-up and oblique production fitting the album's title." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
44. William Basinski, "On Time Out of Time" (Temporary Residence)
    
    "Basinski in space music mode does not pack the emotional depth of his usual work, but the shorter closing piece on this one-off departure is quite good."  -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
45. Test Dept, "Disturbance" (One Little Indian)
46. A Winged Victory for the Sullen, "The Undivided Five" (Ninja Tune)
47. Boduf Songs, "Abyss Versions" (Orindal)
48. Helm, "Chemical Flowers" (Pan)
    
    "Helm has been a reliably compelling project for quite some time, but Luke Younger's increasingly eclectic palette of influences has taken his work to a whole new level.  In the case of this album, it is the collision of Arabic-sounding strings, skittering electronics, and a heavy, lurching groove on "I Knew You Would Respond" that steals the show."  -Anthony D'Amico   
    
    
49. The Future Sound Of London, "Yage 2019" (self-released)
50. Nurse With Wound / The James Worse Public Address Method, "The Vursiflenze Mismantler" (United Dairies)
    
    "It tempting to say that this album is basically 'The Jabberwocky' chopped & screwed, but it is actually much more complex and varied than its origins in mangled absurdist poetry might suggest.  In fact, a few pieces are legitimately haunting or eerily beautiful.  And others, of course, easily rank among Steven Stapleton's most deranged and cacophonous work.  Quite a bizarre album even by NWW standards." -Anthony D'Amico   
    
    
51. Lee "Scratch" Perry, "Heavy Rain" (On-U Sound)
    
    "This sets a very high bar for all future dub albums by octogenarians."  -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
52. Alva Noto + Anne-James Chaton, "Alphabet" (NOTON)
53. Stephen O'Malley, "Ākasa-Dhātu" (Ideologic Organ)
54. Oren Ambarchi, "Simian Angel" (Editions Mego)
55. Pye Corner Audio, "Hollow Earth" (Ghost Box)
56. HTRK, "Over the Rainbow" (Boomkat Editions)
    
    "Still trying to get my hands on this!" - Jon Whitney
    
    
57. The Art Ensemble of Chicago, "We Are On Edge" (Pi)
58. Carl Stone, "Himalaya" (Unseen Worlds)
59. Ben Frost, "Dark: Cycle 1 (Original Music From The Netflix Series)" (Invada)
60. Ben Frost, "Dark: Cycle 2 (Original Music From The Netflix Series)" (Invada)
61. Celer, "Xièxie" (Two Acorns)
    
    "This was an unusually high-profile release, but it is not substantially better than a lot of other Celer albums (though I am quite fond of its incorporation of field recordings).  Will Long is pretty much in a constant state of releasing great ambient music." -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
62. These New Puritans, "Inside The Rose" (Infectious Music)
63. Alameda 5, "Eurodrome" (Instant Classic)
64. Rafael Anton Irisarri, "Solastalgia" (Room40)
65. Deaf Center, "Low Distance" (Sonic Pieces)
    
    "A headphone trip across a glacial landscape, lonely and timeless, with crackles of hyper-amplified warmth. The piano passages are even "koselig" as they say in Norway." - Duncan Edwards
    
    
66. The Caretaker, "Everywhere, an empty bliss" (History Always Favours the Winners)
    
    "I've been a sucker for his work since getting a copy of Stairway To The Stars on beautiful blue vinyl. This final album is a moving document of decline, with jaunty 78s, needle crackle, on-off synths, silence, even distant remembered yodeling, and the crushingly clear last track with its almost unbearable aching and yearning." - Duncan Edwards  
    
    
67. Lingua Ignota, "Caligula" (Profound Lore)
68. Purple Mountains, "Purple Mountains" (Drag City)
    
    "The sound of a man ready to leave this world. An album as bleak as a terminal illness, as comically painful as puns in a suicide note, and as wry as you'd expect from a fine poet." - Duncan Edwards  
    
    ""Darkness and Cold" still kills me every single time I hear it.  This was a hell of a swansong." -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
69. The Cinematic Orchestra, "To Believe" (Ninja Tune)
70. Xiu Xiu, "Girl with Basket of Fruit" (Polyvinyl)
    
    "Definitely among the most radical of Jamie Stewart’s recent reinventions, but I found it a bit too prickly and frenetic to love as a whole." -Anthony D’Amico
    
    
71. My Disco, "Environment" (Downwards)
72. Earthen Sea, "Grass And Trees" (Kranky)
73. Innercity Ensemble, "IV" (Instant Classic)
74. Telefon Tel Aviv, "Dreams Are Not Enough" (Ghostly)
75. JH1.FS3, "Trials and Tribulations" (Dais)
    
    "This Puce Mary/Liebestod collaboration is every bit as good as Puce Mary."  -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
76. Edward Ka-Spel / Motion Kapture, "Alien Subspace" (Rustblade)
77. Drab Majesty, "Modern Mirror" (Dais)
78. Föllakzoid, "I" (Sacred Bones)
79. Boy Harsher, "Careful" (Nude Club)
80. Craig Leon, "Anthology of Interplanetary Folk Music Vol. 2: The Canon" (RVNG Intl.)
81. The Young Gods, "Data Mirage Tangram" (Two Gentlemen)
82. The Dead C, "Rare Ravers" (Ba Da Bing!)
    
    "This was an absolute monster of an album and it belongs in the top ten.  I don't know what more The Dead C could do to win you people over.  Please stop making me sad."  -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
83. Téléplasmiste, "Science Religion" (Golden Ratio Frequencies)
84. Phew + Oren Ambarchi + Jim O’Rourke, "Patience Soup" (Black Truffle)
85. Zonal, "Wrecked" (Relapse)
    
    "A crushing mindfuck of slow-motion, bass-heavy horror: Moor Mother is quite an inspired foil for the blackened, churning, and blown-out grooves of Kevin Martin and Justin Broadrick.  The instrumentals are great too."  -Anthony D'Amico
    
    "Broadrick and Martin hooking back up is going to get my attention no matter what, and the result was a fitting acknowledgement to their legacy as Techno Animal/Sidewinder/Curse of the Golden Vampire.  Moor Mother's vocals fit in perfectly, and having half vocal, half instrumental pieces was an inspired idea." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
86. Lee "Scratch" Perry, "Rainford" (On-U Sound)
87. Maria W Horn, "Epistasis" (Hallow Ground)
    
    "This was quite a bold and unexpected evolution from last year's Kontrapoetik.  Horn still clearly loves black metal and drone, but she proves herself to be remarkably adept at crafting more intricate and melodic fare as well."  -Anthony D'Amico 
    
    
88. Ramleh, "The Great Unlearning" (Nashazphone)
    
    It is hard to top Circular Time, but thankfully Gary Mundy and Anthony DiFranco did not try to.  Further blending "noise" Ramleh with "rock" Ramleh, there are harsh moments, as well as some truly beautiful ones (especially the side-long "Futureworld").  One of my favorites this year." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
89. Benoît Pioulard, "Sylva" (Morr Music)
    
    "Dreamy, gauzy, droney, shimmering soundscapes. Yet the standouts here are "Keep" and "Meristem" two pieces with vocals. "Keep" in particular is reminiscent of early (non-vocal) Bibio and "Soft Wounds" period Songs of Green Pheasant." - Duncan Edwards
    
    
90. Alberich, "Quantized Angel" (Hospital)
91. Vanishing Twin, "The Age Of Immunology" (Fire)
    
    "Much like the Death & Vanilla album, The Age of Immunology scratches roughly the same itch as classic Stereolab.  Vanishing Twin is by far the weirder and more experimental of the two bands though.  "Magician's Success" was easily one of my favorite singles of the year."  -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
92. Dino Spiluttini, "Heaven" (Editions Mego)
93. Eleh, "Living Space" (Touch)
94. Angel Bat Dawid, "The Oracle" (International Anthem)
    
    "A surprisingly gentle and hypnotic chronicle of contemporary black experience. Recorded mainly on cell phone, using gospel structures, improvisation, clarinet, voice and more. The result is a spiritual and political journey of discovery and freedom; meandering, immersive, and harmonious." - Duncan Edwards 
    
    
95. Death and Vanilla, "Are You A Dreamer?" (Fire)
96. Orphyx/JK Flesh, "Light Bringer" (Hospital)
97. Lustmord, "First Reformed" (Vaultworks)
98. Benoît Honoré Pioulard and Sean Curtis Patrick, "Avocationals" (Beacon Sound)
99. Keiji Haino & Sumac, "Even for just the briefest moment..." (Trost)
100. Carl Stone, "Baroo" (Unseen Worlds)

Single of the Year

1. The Legendary Pink Dots, "Hallowe'en Special 2019" (self-released)
2. The Legendary Pink Dots, "Christmas Special 2019" (self-released)
3. Carla dal Forno, "So Much Better" (Kallista)
4. Fovea Hex, "The Salt Garden III" (Janet)
   
   "Another beautiful and haunting release from Clodagh Simonds in these bleak times and probably my favorite single of the year." - Jon Whitney
   
   
5. Andy Stott, "It Should Be Us" (Modern Love)
   
   "Easily one of my favorite Stott releases despite its distinct lack of overt hooks.  Sounds like a ghostly, slow-motion dub version of his usual fare, but that slowed, stripped-down approach suits some of these heavy grooves beautifully.  "Not This Time" is an absolutely killer slab of unstoppable, industrial-grade thump." -Anthony D'Amico
   
   
6. The Legendary Pink Dots, "Junkyard (Version Apocalypse)" (self-released)
7. Meat Beat Manifesto, "Pin Drop / No Design" (Flexidisc)
   
   ""Pin Drop" is a skittering tour de force of rhythmic virtuousity and endearing eclecticism." -Anthony D'Amico
   
   
8. JK Flesh, "In Your Pit" (Pressure)
9. Nodding God, "In a Foreign Landscape" (House of Mythology)
10. Raime, "Planted" (RR)
11. Edward Ka-Spel, "Waves Unchanged" (self-released)
12. Pye Corner Audio, "Dark Phase" (Analogical Force)
13. Scorn, "Feather" (Ohm Resistance)
14. Deathprod, "Dark Transit" (Smalltown Supersound)
15. Benoît Pioulard, "Atra" (Past Inside the Present)
16. Andrea Belfi, "Strata" (Float)
17. Craven Faults, "Springhead Works" (Lowfold Works)
18. Lotto, "Pix" (Instant Classic)
19. Seefeel, "SP/GA 19" (self-released)
20. Four Tet, "Teenage Birdsong" (Text)
21. Lee "Scratch" Perry, "Life of the Plants" (Stones Throw)
22. Jonnine, "Super Natural" (Good Morning Tapes)
23. Sequoyah Murray, "Penalties of Love" (Thrill Jockey)
24. Low, "Fly" (Sub Pop)
25. Essaie Pas, "Earth" (DFA)
26. Puce Mary, Francesco Leali, Heith, Alessandro Branca, "An Exploitative Version of Surrogacy" (Until Riots)
27. Thurston Moore, "Pollination/Leave Me Alone" (Daydream Library)
28. Craven Faults, "Nunroyd Works" (Lowfold Works)
29. Caribou, "Home" (Merge)
30. Four Tet, "Anna Painting" (Text)
31. Claro Intelecto, "Forgotten Wasteland" (Delsin)
32. My Disco, "Environment Remixes" (Downwards)
33. Amp, "Entangled Time" (Sound In Silence)
34. Not Waving, "Tremendous / S.M." (Ecstatic)
35. Lali Puna, "Being Water" (Morr Music)
36. Karl Bartos, "Without A Trace Of Emotion / Vox Humana ‎(7", Single, Gat)" (Electronic Sound)
37. Pharmakustik, "Propulsion" (V I S)
38. Ultramarine, "Meditations" (Les Disques Du Crépuscule)
39. Four Tet, "Dreamer" (Text)
40. Locust, "Green" (Medical)
41. Locust, "Red" (Medical)
42. Celer, "Plays Godflesh" (Avalanche)
43. Celer, "Valdez" (self-released)
44. Modern Nature, "Nature" (Bella Union)
45. Thurston Moore, "Spring Swell /Leave Me Alone" (Daydream Library)
46. Thurston Moore, "Three Graces/Leave Me Alone" (Daydream Library)
47. Blawan, "Many Many Pings" (Ternesc)
48. Erykah Badu & James Poyser, "Tempted" (Yep Roc)
49. Blac Kolor, "Nephi" (Ant-Zen)
50. Komplikations, "No Good News" (Rockstar)

Vault/Reissue of the Year

1. Nurse With Wound, "Homotopy To Marie" (Rotorelief)
2. Current 93, "Nature Unveiled" (The Spheres)
3. Coil, "Live Five" (Retractor)
4. Grouper, "A I A: Alien Observer" (Kranky)
5. Throbbing Gristle, "Part 2: The Endless Not / TG Now" (Mute)
6. Coil, "Live Copenhagen 2002" (Retractor)
7. Dome, "3" (Editions Mego)
8. Stereolab, "Emperor Tomato Ketchup" (Duophonic)
9. Burial, "Tunes 2011 to 2019" (Hyperdub)
10. Grouper, "A I A: Dream Loss" (Kranky)
11. Throbbing Gristle, "A Souvenir of Camber Sands" (Mute)
12. Dome, "1" (Editions Mego)
    
    "All the Dome records were amazing, but I have always preferred this one.  Probably because it shows the traces of Wire's 154 most clearly, but with the more experimental moments taken to the extreme." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
13. Dome, "4: Will You Speak This Word?" (Editions Mego)
14. Stereolab, "Dots and Loops" (Duophonic)
15. The Residents, "Commercial Album" (New Ralph Too)
16. Dome, "2" (Editions Mego)
    
    "And this would be my second favorite.  The avant garde tendencies are even stronger here, but "The Red Tent II" and "Long Lost Life" are very catchy songs in their own right." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
17. Chris Carter, "Archival 1973-1977" (Mute)
18. Mark Stewart + Maffia, "Learning to Cope with Cowardice" (Mute)
19. Cabaret Voltaire, "1974-1976" (Mute)
20. The Legendary Pink Dots, "The Crushed Velvet Apocalypse" (Soleilmoon)
21. Nurse With Wound, "Arcane Reawakening X" (self-released)
22. Psychic TV, "Trip Reset" (Sweet Nothing)
23. The Legendary Pink Dots, "The Golden Age" (Metropolis)
24. Chris Carter, "Small Moon" (Mute)
25. Stereolab, "Mars Audiac Quintet" (Duophonic)
26. Cabaret Voltaire, "Chance Vs. Causality" (Mute)
27. Stereolab, "Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night" (Duophonic)
28. Mika Vainio, "Olento" (Sähkö)
29. Stereolab, "Transient Random Noise-Bursts WIth Announcements" (Duophonic)
30. Eliane Radigue, "Geelriandre/Arthesis" (Important)
31. Fad Gadget, "The Best Of" (Mute)
32. The Legendary Pink Dots, "Malachai (Shadow Weaver Part 2)" (Metropolis)
33. Muslimgauze, "Azzazin" (Staalplaat)
34. Bowery Electric, "Lushlife" (Beggars Banquet)
35. The Residents, "Eskimo" (New Ralph Too)
36. Chris Carter, "Mondo Beat" (Mute)
37. Laurie Spiegel, "The Expanding Universe" (Unseen Worlds)
    
    "Reissued first in 2012. A gem, a landmark. To paraphrase my own review: Fahey meets Bach in a spacecraft powered by computers as big as a fridge." - Duncan Edwards
    
    
38. The Residents, "Not Available" (New Ralph Too)
39. Chris Carter, "Disobedient" (Mute)
40. Laurie Spiegel, "Unseen Worlds" (Unseen Worlds)
41. Steven Stapleton & David Tibet, "Dead Memory" (Dirter)
42. Ryuichi Sakamoto, "Thousand Knives of" (Wewantsounds)
43. Gas, "Pop" (Kompakt)
44. Arthur Russell, "Iowa Dream" (Audika)
45. The Residents, "God In Three Persons" (New Ralph Too)
46. Eliane Radigue, "CHRY-PTUS" (Important)
47. Rema-Rema, "Fond Reflections" (4AD)
48. Stereolab, "Sound-Dust" (Duophonic)
49. Eliane Radigue, "Feedback Works 1969-1970" (Algra Marghen)
    
    "Easily one of the best reissues of this or any year. Drone and throb created 50 years ago. Radigue worked at night when her children were in bed, using tape and an ARP-2500 modular synth. Nothing here is attention-seeking, everything is essential, life-affirming and completely mesmerizing. Genius." - Duncan Edwards 
    
    
50. HIA / Biosphere, "Polar Sequences" (Biophon)

Various Artist Compilation of the Year

1. The Legendary Pink Dots & friends, "40 Angels" (self-released)
   
   "In classic LPD fashion, the release of Angel in the Detail was accompanied by a sprawling and eclectic collection that sneakily contains some near-classic material.  I especially like the demo versions of "Red Flag" and "Sacred Cow," but are probably enough other strong pieces here to assemble a second album nearly as wonderful as Detail.  The catch is just that you have to sift through forty-two songs to find them all." -Anthony D'Amico    
   
   
2. "Touched By Silence - Music for Macmillian Cancer Support" (Touched)
3. "On Corrosion" (Helen Scarsdale Agency)
   
   "Jim Haynes's expertly curated label is one that I have followed for a number of years and I have yet to be disappointed in a release.  This set provides a perfect overview:  ten cassettes (one per artist) show the wide range of sounds he has been putting out.  From the Valium haze of Pinkcourtesyphone to the noisy din of Kleistwahr, everything here is brilliant.  Throw it in a hand-made wooden box with a booklet and postcards and it is easily my favorite compilation of the year." - Creaig Dunton
   
   
4. "Third Noise Principle (Formative North American Electronica 1975-1984" (Cherry Red)
5. "Lullabies For Catatonics: A Journey Through the British Avant-Pop/Art-Rock Scene 1967-74" (Grapefruit)
6. "An Anthology Of Greek Experimental Electronic Music 1966-2016" (Sub Rosa)
7. "Vanity Records: Vanity Box" (Kyou)
8. "25 Compost Records" (Compost)
9. "Buried Alive!! 2: More Demented Teenage Fuzz From Down Under 1964-1968" (Particles)
10. "C'mon! C'mon!: The Roots of Scottish Rock and Pop 1963-1970" (Particles)
11. "New Moon's In The Sky (The British Progressive Pop Sounds Of 1970)" (Grapefruit)
12. "Studio One Showcase" (Studio One)
13. "Vanity Records: Vanity Tapes" (Kyou)
14. "STUMM433" (Mute)
    
    "Enjoy the silence, indeed." - Jon Whitney
    
    
15. "Strain, Crack & Break: Music From The Nurse With Wound List Volume 1 (France)" (Finders Keepers) 
    
    "Perhaps not as challenging, weird, or varied as I anticipated. Although worth it for the retro-pastoral, cinematic charm of the Z.N.R. piece "Solo un Dia" alone." - Duncan Edwards
    
    "I learned long ago that being a huge NWW fan does not necessarily mean that I share Steven Stapleton's taste in music, but there are some very cool obscurities on this France-focused collection that make me eager to hear future volumes.  There are certainly some very difficult and annoying pieces here as well, but the hit-to-miss ratio is very much a favorable one."  -Anthony D'Amico
    
    
16. "Kankyō Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980 - 1990" (Light in the Attic)
17. "Seitō: In the Beginning, Woman Was the Sun" (Akuphone)
18. "Pop Ambient 2020" (Kompakt)
19. "Jambú e Os Míticos Sons Da Amazônia" (Analog Africa)
20. "Pacific Breeze (Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1976-1986)" (Light in the Attic)
21. "Institute Of Sonology 1959-1969" (Sub Rosa)
22. "Mogadisco - Dancing Mogadishu - Somalia 1972​-​1991" (Analog Africa)
23. "Wayfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares" (Numero Group)
24. "Synthesizer Music On Tape vol. 1" (Harami Tapes)
25. "Nigeria 70 (No Wahala: Highlife, Afro-Funk & Juju 1973-1987)" (Strut)

Boxed Set of the Year

1. Steven Stapleton & David Tibet, "The Threat of Memory" (Dirter)
2. Section 25, "Always Now" (Factory Benelux)
3. Cabaret Voltaire, "Methodology '74 / '78 Attic Tapes;" (Mute)
4. The Residents, "Mole Box" (New Ralph Too)
5. Kyle Bobby Dunn, "From Here to Eternity" (Past Inside the Present)
6. Zoviet France, "Chasse" (Vinyl on Demand)
   
   "I think I would have burst into tears if this had sold out before I managed to get one.  I've been hoping that these albums would get reissued for like twenty years."  -Anthony D'Amico
   
   
7. The Pop Group, "Y" (Mute)
8. Nurse With Wound, "Trippin' Music" (United Dirter)
   
   "If anyone is considering listening to this album on acid, you would be wise to hide the pink album beforehand, as its alternately jabbering and metallic onslaught is more than nerve-jangling enough sober.  That 'Russian Roulette' aspect is part of this album's weird charm though, as the lack of any sequence or song title information makes the first few spins of this triple LP an appealingly unpredictable and disorienting descent into obsessively looping weirdness."  -Anthony D'Amico
   
   
9. A Certain Ratio, "ACR:Box" (Mute)
10. Nurse With Wound, "Objet Politique" (self-released)
11. Jim O'Rourke, "To Magnetize Money and Catch a Roving Eye" (Sonoris)
12. "Touched By Silence - Music for Macmillian Cancer Support" (Touched)
13. Thurston Moore, "Spirit Counsel" (Daydream Library)
14. The Fall, "Live at the Witch Trials" (Cherry Red)
15. Merzbow, "Metalvelodrome" (Urashima)
16. Arve Henriksen, "The Timeless Nowhere" (Rune Grammofon)
17. Duster, "Capsule Losing Contact" (Numero)
18. Michael Rother, "Solo" (Grönland)
19. Gene Clark, "No Other Deluxe" (4AD)
20. Scott Walker, "Live On Air 1968-1969" (London Calling)
21. The Residents, "Alvin Snow AKA Dyin Dog" (Cryptic Corporation)
22. "On Corrosion" (Helen Scarsdale Agency)
23. "Third Noise Principle (Formative North American Electronica 1975-1984" (Cherry Red)
24. The Fall, "1982" (Cherry Red)
25. The 39 Clocks, "Next Dimension Transfer" (Tapete)

Artist of the Year

1. The Legendary Pink Dots
   
   "Celebrating the 40th year in existence by being as productive as they are is no simple task. It's astounding they continue to record and release as much music and continue to tour extensively." - Jon Whitney
   
   
2. Swans
3. Sunn O)))
4. Nurse With Wound
5. Carla dal Forno
6. Edward Ka-Spel
7. Cosey Fanni Tutti
8. HTRK
9. Alva Noto
10. Black To Comm

Label of the Year

1. Mute
2. Editions Mego
3. Kranky
4. Duophonic
5. Important
6. New Ralph Too
7. Thrill Jockey
8. Conspiracy International
9. House of Mythology
10. Young God

New Artist of the Year

Angel Bat Dawid

"I am by no means an expert in Jazz, however the captivating debut album, The Oracle, from Chicago based composer and multi-instrumentalist Angel Bat Dawid has been appropriately receiving high critical acclaim. Although she performs with numerous musicians, the album was assembled from music created entirely by Dawid alone but is by no means minimal. It is rich in swirling melodic layers of clarinet, voice, keyboard, and other instrumentation and the compositions are beyond hypnotic. I look forward to future recordings and hopefully being fortunate enough to catch her live." - Jon Whitney

Lifetime Achievement Recognition

Lee "Scratch" Perry

"It is hard to imagine what the current musical landscape would be like if Lee Perry had not made the fateful decision to move to the city and take a job as a janitor at a recording studio.  Obviously, he played a pivotal role in ska's evolution into reggae and was unquestionably one of the key architects in the birth of dub. Beyond that, however, Perry was the one who convinced Bob Marley to take his work in a more spiritual/political direction and additionally played a crucial role in transforming Marley into an international celebrity (by controversially sending his recordings to Trojan).  If dub and reggae had not blown up in England to influence a generation of open-minded punks and art students, I have no doubt that post-punk and post-industrial music would never have splintered into the many interesting directions that they did.  Unfortunately, Perry's Black Ark heyday came to an end in near-Biblical fashion in the late '70s, but flashes of that old Perry magic have been intermittently surfacing ever since he relocated to Europe.  More importantly, he has become quite an adventurous collaborator in his later years, tirelessly exposing his idiosyncratic vision to new generations and learning new tricks well into his eighties."  -Anthony D'Amico

"One of the early joys of parenting is receiving that first kindergarten report card when their child is described as "works well with others." In addition to the scores of Jamaican legends Perry has been responsible for, he continues to record with the greats, with recent collaborators including David Tibet, Sasha Grey, and of course, Brian Eno. Not only is Lee Perry's historical indisputable, but who else in their 80s released three stunning albums in 2019 and continues to tour the world? Here's to the next 80 years!" - Jon Whitney

Worst Album of the Year

1. Sleater-Kinney, "The Center Won't Hold" (Mom + Pop)
   
   "I have a history of being skeptical about the worst of the year votes, however the general consensus across the boards seems to agree with this assessment." - Jon Whitney
   
   
2. Jan St. Werner, "Glottal Wolpertinger (Fiepblatter Catalogue #6)" (Thrill Jockey)
   
   "I could admittedly do without the spoken introductions to each piece, but this was otherwise a solid and oft-compelling album."  -Anthony D'Amico
   
   
3. Front Line Assembly, "Wake Up the Coma" (Metropolis)
4. KMFDM, "Paradise" (Metropolis)
   
   "The longevity of this band is deeply perplexing."  -Anthony D'Amico
   
   "I like to imagine if En Esch were to come back, KMFDM might actually be entertaining again.  But I am not holding my breath." - Creaig Dunton
   
   
5. Beirut, "Gallipoli" (4AD)
6. Girl Band, "The Talkies" (Rough Trade)
7. Ellen Allien, "Alientronic" (Bpitch Control)
8. Pixies, "Beneat the Eyrie" (Infectious)
9. Kukangendai, "Palm" (Ideologic Organ)
   
   "I'm legitimately surprised to see this here.  I suppose this album is a bit uneven and one-dimensional, but Kukangendai are an extremely tight band with a unique aesthetic.   I have always enjoyed Stephen O'Malley's offbeat curatorial choices for Ideologic Organ and this album does nothing to dampen my enthusiasm." -Anthony D'Amico
   
   
10. M83, "Knife + Heart (Original Soundtrack)" (Mute)

26 April 2020

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Opera is not exactly a style of music that has overlapped much with modern electronic and experimental genres. Perhaps it is the long-form nature, or the innately organic nature of works built heavily around the human voice, but either way, it has not been a major crossover style in my experience. As an outgrowth of her CyberSongs project, Barbara Ellison has decided to tackle this challenge. Using computer modeled speech and instrument samples, along with a healthy dose of processing and audio treatments, the final product is a diverse mix that clearly draws from operatic structures and elements, but results in something that transcends the style entirely.

Self-Released

CyberOpera is a three act, 3+ hour endeavor that is presented as uncompressed audio via USB card.Besides the added sound quality of 24bit/48k, it also allows her to present a work that is consistent with the length of other operas.The concept itself grew out of Heropera, an experimental opera that was largely improvised by the Trickster collective, consisting of Ellison, Nina Boas, Nathalie Smoor, Ieke Trinks, and Marielle Verdijk, but transposed to Ellison's CyberSongs innovative framework of inorganic voices and processed speech emphasis.

Ellison uses voice throughout the three acts, although rarely presented in a decipherable context.It is mostly a multitude of chopped fragments and syllables, sometimes to the point in which it is no longer identifiable as anything but a few bits of data.The opening narration is about the only time in which it sounds "normal," but even from there the female voice used has an inhuman lilt to it that heralds what is to come.

The first half of the first act features her tearing this voice apart into stuttering, repeated words, cut up syllables, etc.The technique has been heard before in many forms of media to depict a glitching robot or computer, but her careful use of the fragments, especially when shaping them into somewhat musical rhythms and sequences, is where her talent shines through clearly.Voices are processed into instruments, and the second part of the first act becomes sweeping orchestral strings, but again, with a particularly inorganic quality to the sound.

Act 2 begins with a metronome-like harpsichord sound that sounds mechanically repetitive at first listen, but closer inspection reveals a lot more in the way of subtle changes and variations to be heard, perhaps demonstrating how "human" technology can sound when calculated imperfections are introduced.Voice bits come in, and everything builds to a louder, more forceful dynamic, as operas do.These skips and glitches at times lock into conventional electronic music structures, but always feature a distinctly idiosyncratic sound to them.

The second part of Act 2 begins with voice in erratically paced loops, but eventually relents to mangled orchestral samples and fizzing, crackling noises and what sounds like a bit of piano here and there.The pitch bending that concludes the second part gives a bit of quirk to the sound, but for the third, Ellison is working with buzzing, metallic tones and more conventional operatic voices.Tight, cut up loops and processed, deeper voices that are perhaps the most traditional opera elements in this entire set, and it functions extremely well.

Act 3 features Ellison emphasizing the abstract sounds largely during the first three (of six) parts.Part one is a mass of skittering, unidentifiable sounds and white noise hiss that builds in volume.There are bits of what could be flute or wind chimes that sneak through but for the most part, it is a noisier work.Dramatic voices appear in part two, but otherwise it is the opposite of the first:minimal, open sounds with the occasional dissonant bit that stabs through.The sound is reminiscent from collaborator Francisco López (who also mastered this recording), but it is still distinctly Ellison’s work.The third part’s first half is probably one of the more abrasive moments here:lots of harsh, cut up voice bits played with intense repetition, while the second half is more spacious, musical and even features some emulated symphonic percussion.

The remaining three parts feature Ellison returning to the more voice-focused first act.Part four is at first a slew of organic, crackling snaps and textures, later fleshed out by warm, sustained tones and voice layers.For the fifth part, Ellison throws in more, but varied, voices and with the occasional harpsichord, is obviously building to the work’s dramatic conclusion. This is blended into the final part, where the varied voices are mixed with digital drums and rhythmic programming, transitioning from rhythmic structures to dramatic tones, before ending the whole performance on a hushed note.

Like a conventional opera, CyberOpera can be a daunting experience.With the lengthy runtime, and at times intentionally difficult sounds and structure, it is anything but a light work.However, I was extremely impressed with the uniqueness of it, and the subversion of a genre into an entirely different form.Had Barbara Ellison simply attempted to replicate a conventional opera with sampled instruments and speech synthesis software, I imagine she would have been successful.However, by doing that I think the result would just seem like a technological demonstration, and not the distinct and creative work that she went for, and succeeded greatly, in doing.

Samples Available Here

26 April 2020

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Japanese guitarist Leo Takami's music will be very familiar to fans of Bill Frisell, with its pure, clean guitar tone, and meditative instrumentals. The whole album has a very open feel to it, as if it was recorded in a great hall, but in the style of a calm reverie you might imagine wafting into a hidden away temple for reflection. It also calls to mind Eyvind Kang and all smooth jazz pioneers who pair rock song structures with the strings and winds of chamber music arrangements.

Unseen Worlds

The album opens with a little counterpoint in the song "Felis Catus and Silence," with light orchestral backing to accompany the prominent guitar acrobatics. "Garden of Joy" waltzes us through a scene one could imagine including running water and perhaps a shrine. "Awake" greets the day with contemplative electric guitar noodling. "Children on Their Birthdays" has a slow pulse and toy-like piano, more like a lullaby than a celebration. "Unknown" picks up the pace as it skips joyfully through bright melodies and gently syncopated rhythms.

This album wades a tad too close to being elevator music, but manages to strike a fair balance of delightful instrumentation and movement and interest such that it is worth a listen.

samples available here

26 April 2020

Administrator

Albums and Singles

It is fair to say that every Midwife release is a deeply personal one, as Madeline Johnston has never been one to mask her true feelings with ambiguously poetic language or aesthetic distance. This second full-length is an especially heavy one though, as it was composed as a sort of letter to Johnston's late friend Colin Ward (the two were roommates at Denver's beloved former DIY art space Rhinoceropolis). Fortunately, cathartically transforming dark emotions into powerful art has always been where Johnston shines the brightest and that remains as true as ever with Forever. In fact, she has arguably only gotten better, as Forever's lead single "Anyone Can Play Guitar" actually gave me chills the first time I heard it. Thankfully, the other five songs do not pack quite as much of an emotional gut punch, making this album considerably more well-suited for repeat listening than, say, Mount Eerie’s similarly inspired (and emotionally devastating) A Crow Looked at Me. There is certainly plenty of pain and anger to be found on Forever, but that darkness is beautifully mingled with warmth, hopefulness, and a characteristically unerring instinct for great songcraft.

The Flenser

Given how this year is shaping up thus far, the sentiment of the opening "2018" unintentionally feels even more apt for the present, as the lyrical content boils down to just "This is really happening to me" and "Get the fuck away from me, 2018."For Johnston and many other Denver artists, however, that year will always be remembered as the year of Ward's untimely passing, which was arguably the culminating event for quite a demoralizing couple of years (Denver shut down Rhinoceropolis in 2016 in the wake of the Ghost Ship fire).Despite the justifiably hostile lyrics, however, "2018" is an eerily lovely piece, as the repeating lyrics are warmly hiss-soaked and feel almost like a mantra.And, of course, the underlying music is quite beautiful as well, unfolding as an understated, slow-motion dreamscape of chiming arpeggios and reverberating slashes of distorted chords.By comparison, the more driving and hook-filled "Anyone Can Play Guitar" feels like a bittersweet breakthrough to a much later stage of grief, as Johnston notes that anyone can tell a lie, fall in love, or say goodbye, then breaks into a simultaneously haunting and defiant chorus of "You can't run for your whole life."That said, the chorus later transforms into the much darker sentiment of "I'm not coming back this time."As dark as it is, however, "Anyone Can Play Guitar" is an absolutely mesmerizing pop song that is equal parts seething, mysterious, and gorgeous.Johnston is a master at making a few simple lines feel increasingly fraught with deeper meaning as they repeat again and again in shifting order.Similarly, she has a real instinct for vocal effects and harmonies, masterfully using distortion and hiss to actually increase the sense of intimacy and rawness.Throughout the entire album, Johnston's confessional-sounding vocals consistently find the perfect blurry middle ground between sharp-edged and sensuously breathy.

The following instrumental ("Vow") briefly dials down the simmering intensity of the album, as it is essentially just a quietly lovely progression of chords allowed to linger until they decay into near-silence.Notably, however, that interlude acts as a bridge between the album's two distinct halves, as the remaining songs are considerably brighter in tone.The first of that trio ("Language") is a warmly tender elegy that almost feels like a love song.It also features the first real splash of color on the album, as Johnston enhances her characteristic slow-motion arpeggios with a squirming, shivering, and shimmering motif that sounds like a swirl of backwards guitars.After that, the album gives way to a second divergent interlude: this time, a poignant spoken word recording by Ward himself entitled "C.R.F.W."I am a little surprised that Johnston did not make that the final piece on the album, as both the voice of Ward himself and the moving final line would have made a perfect and poetic ending for the album (and it dissolves into a quite a heavenly wake of quavering drones as well).The ending that Johnston chose instead is quite strong too though, as she stomps her distortion pedal and launches into a fuzzed-out gem of shoegaze-y pop bliss ("S.W.I.M.").In fact, that may even be a more perfect ending, as its comparatively muscular, bright, and hopeful tone suggests that Johnston emerged from that dark stretch unbroken and even stronger than before.Moreover, it is the piece where Midwife most sounds like a full band, showing that the collaborative community spirit of Rhinoceropolis lives on through Johnston and her quartet of guest musicians (Tucker Theodore, Randall Taylor, Jensen Keller & Caden Marches).

If Forever was an album by almost any other artist, I would probably be disappointed that there are only four fully formed songs, but one aspect of Johnston's artistry that I genuinely love is her singular talent for distillation.It is not an exaggeration to say that the entirety of Forever's lyrics could easily fit on a (very small) napkin, but that beautifully illustrates the minimalist genius of Johnston's approach to both language and songcraft.While every song on Forever seems like it was created solely to convey one single important thought or feeling, the full meaning of Johnston's words is left teasingly elusive through fragmented repetition…until a crucial phrase is finally allowed to complete at the song's end.And the song DOES end at that point, as there is no point in lingering around once the message has been delivered.Every single word is chosen for maximum impact and anything that could shift focus away from that impact has been mercilessly carved away.And on a larger scale, the cumulative arc of these six pieces was clearly designed to pack an undiluted emotion punch (and it succeeds).In fact, I am tempted to compare Forever to a perfectly cut diamond, but that is exactly the wrong metaphor, as the beauty of Midwife is that Johnston's songs feel wonderfully raw, direct, and deeply human rather than polished or overwrought: these are great songs and this is great art.Admittedly, it is hard to say if this album quite tops the absolutely stellar Prayer Hands EP (we may have a tie), but it is very easy to say with complete confidence that Midwife has had an unbroken hot streak since the moment the project debuted.While I know it is only April right now, Forever is unquestionably one of the most focused and powerful albums that anyone will release this year.

Samples can be found here.